Chapter 2

"Turns out you were hiding here."

A voice rang in Lin Yuan's ear, and immediately after, a handsome and fair face blocked the dazzling starry sky before him.

"Jian Yi."

Lin Yuan instinctively called out the other person's name.

This handsome, tall boy was Lin Yuan's elementary school, middle school, and college classmate—

A true best friend.

And now, this best friend had already extended his hand to pull Lin Yuan up from the ground.

Then Lin Yuan felt a weight on his shoulder, and a woman's coat was already draped over him.

He turned his head and saw a beautiful smile.

This was a girl, with long hair cascading over her shoulders, lightly made up, and of exceptional beauty.

"Xia Fan."

Just like when he saw Jian Yi, Lin Yuan instinctively called out her name.

Because this girl, Xia Fan, like Jian Yi, was Lin Yuan's elementary school, middle school, and college classmate—

Another best friend.

"Remember to wear the coat when you go out at night."

Xia Fan reminded Lin Yuan, even though she and Jian Yi, as well as everyone running on the playground, were only wearing short-sleeved clothes suitable for the summer.

"Okay."

Lin Yuan responded.

But after just one sentence, Jian Yi and Xia Fan both stared at him with a hint of suspicion.

"Why do I feel something is off with you?"

Jian Yi said this.

Although Xia Fan didn't speak, her expression clearly showed that she shared the same feeling.

"Because I'm no longer entirely Lin Yuan."

Lin Yuan said with a smile, feeling that his statement was still relatively objective. He was half the original owner—after all, his feelings for family and friends, his physical appearance, and his body were the same as the original owner's.

"Have you been possessed by a ghost?"

Jian Yi burst into laughter, not suspecting anything.

Xia Fan's expression also relaxed inexplicably.

Lin Yuan sighed in relief.

This way, he could feel at ease about not explaining further.

Xia Fan and Jian Yi had grown up with Lin Yuan, so they knew his situation inside and out.

Therefore, the two had always taken care of Lin Yuan, who wasn't in the best health, since they were young.

Emotionally, Lin Yuan didn't want to deceive the two, but he had to lie appropriately.

"Mr. Lin, let me say this objectively."

Jian Yi said seriously, "Being a novelist is one of the top ten most desirable professions for young people across continents, as voted on the internet. Just in our Qinzhou, countless people are striving to become novelists. It's really hard to stand out in this industry just based on a fleeting interest, so there's no need to doubt your life on a cold, dark lawn."

"Novelist..."

Lin Yuan's eyes flickered slightly.

Jian Yi had a reason to mention novels.

Because not long ago, the original owner had conceived the idea of writing a novel and took action, submitting a ten-thousand-word draft to a web writing contest, hoping to debut as a novelist.

Such writing contests were very popular.

Because if a novelist debuts successfully, not only would the winning work get a valuable publishing opportunity, but if the sales reach a certain standard, it could also be adapted into anime, films, or games.

This was the dream of countless people striving to become novelists!

Most importantly, it was very profitable!

But unfortunately...

Because such activities were too popular, and the original owner's writing talent was average, his entry was eliminated in the first round of the contest.

Jian Yi therefore concluded that Lin Yuan was blowing cold wind on the playground because the writing contest didn't go well.

However...

Neither Lin Yuan nor the original owner really cared about the result of the contest.

The original owner's decision to commit suicide had nothing to do with the failure of the contest, as he had only participated as a hobby.

What if he made money?

He had this mindset when he did it.

The original owner was someone who always thought about graduating and making money.

He always felt a sense of guilt towards his family and worked hard to make up for it.

He felt that his sister, younger sister, and mother had sacrificed too much for him, so he wanted to do his best to compensate them.

Becoming a singer was not just a dream.

It was also because this industry could make a lot of money!

Don't say things like "dreams shouldn't be tainted by money."

For the original owner, if tainting his dream could bring him money, he hoped his dream would be corroded to the point of being riddled with holes—

So he could buy a beautiful dress for his younger sister.

Free his sister from her burdens.

And let his mother work less hard.

"Don't listen to Jian Yi."

Xia Fan also thought Lin Yuan was upset about the writing contest.

But instead of advising him to give up, she encouraged him to keep trying: "There are many similar opportunities. For example, next month, the top-ranked publishing house 'Silver Blue Library' will hold the 'Supernova' Novel Award. You can try participating then."

"Please, Xia Fan."

Jian Yi held his forehead: "Lin Yuan couldn't even pass a minor writing contest, and you want him to challenge the 'Supernova'?"

"It's all about participation."

Xia Fan said sheepishly, though she didn't really expect Lin Yuan to succeed. She just hoped he would find something to do, as his mindset hadn't been good since he switched to the composition department due to his vocal issues.

Jian Yi wasn't as delicate as Xia Fan.

He was enthusiastically explaining the basics to Lin Yuan: "Even I, who don't follow the novel scene, know how terrifying the 'Supernova' is. The participants are mostly seasoned veterans who have been striving for years to debut, and occasionally, some authors who have already debuted but aren't doing well will join. Anyway, for many people, a new pen name and a new start make them so-called newcomers..."

In short, the 'Supernova' is a battlefield of gods.

"Got it, got it."

Lin Yuan smiled and interrupted Jian Yi, but he secretly remembered the 'Supernova' contest.

In a world rich in artistic atmosphere, there seemed to be many more ways to gain recognition.

But he didn't have a novel yet.

He had to wait for the system to provide one.

As for the song "Life Like Summer Flowers," Lin Yuan needed to find a way to release it. He couldn't help but look at Xia Fan—

Xia Fan was a vocal music student.

When Lin Yuan hadn't switched departments, they were classmates. In terms of professional ability, Xia Fan was definitely capable; her singing talent was almost on par with Lin Yuan's before he lost his voice.

But Xia Fan was just a student.

Would a student release a song through online channels?

That would be too slow, and without proper promotion, the song might just disappear without a trace.

"What's wrong?"

Xia Fan felt strange when she saw Lin Yuan staring at her: "Do you want something to eat or drink? I can go get it for you now."

"No."

Lin Yuan said, "I have a friend... yeah, a friend, who wrote a song and wants to release it but doesn't know how. Do you have any channels to recommend?"

"Are you crazy?"

Jian Yi sneered, "Didn't you sell yourself to a company for 50,000 yuan? If you have a song, you should go to your company, Starlight Entertainment. It's a waste not to use such a big company."

Lin Yuan was taken aback, then suddenly realized.

After the original owner was admitted to the Qinzhou Music Academy, he showed remarkable vocal talent and was signed by a reputable entertainment company in his first year.

The signing fee was 50,000 yuan.

The original owner desperately needed money, so even though he knew the 50,000 yuan signing fee was very cheap, he signed an eight-year contract without hesitation and immediately handed the signing fee to his mother!

But no one could have predicted...

The boy with the remarkable vocal talent couldn't sing anymore shortly after signing.

Faced with this situation, the entertainment company that signed Lin Yuan could only accept their bad luck and left him to his own devices.

Knowing Lin Yuan's family situation, the company didn't ask for compensation and didn't even mention terminating the contract, probably forgetting that they had a singer named Lin Yuan.

"That's not right."

While Lin Yuan was thinking, Jian Yi suddenly came to his senses: "Mr. Lin, when did you have a friend that Xia Fan and I don't know?"

"Creating a friend out of thin air."

Xia Fan covered her mouth and giggled, then continued, "If you want to release a song, there's an opportunity right now. In a few days, it will be the annual 'Newcomer Season' in the music industry. At that time, major entertainment companies will push hard, provided you meet their entry standards..."

"Got it."

Lin Yuan smiled.

This was the utopia of artists, the ideal kingdom of cultural and entertainment prosperity!

As long as you have the ability, the red carpet to fame is laid out right in front of your doorstep!

Newcomer Season.

This is one of the paths to fame, a rule specifically set up by the Blue Star to cultivate musical talent:

Every November, the Newcomer Season is held across the Blue Star.

At that time, senior artists will refrain from releasing albums or singles, temporarily pausing their activities to give space to the newcomers.

Some senior artists will even actively promote the newcomers they favor in November.

Major entertainment companies will seize this opportunity to fully promote new artists, and the newcomers will strive to make a name for themselves!

Lin Yuan originally had the chance to debut during the Newcomer Season.

But unfortunately, now he could only aim to debut as a songwriter.

However, since Lin Yuan was no longer the original owner, debuting as a songwriter made him even happier.

The Blue Star's revenue-sharing model for new artists is:

The profit from song downloads or streams is generally divided with the company taking 80%, and the remaining 20% is split between the singer and the songwriter, with the production and arrangement costs usually covered by the company.

The specific ratio depends on the contract.

Traditionally, the singer and songwriter get the larger share.

Besides the company's share, Lin Yuan wouldn't have to split the money with many others, as he wrote both the lyrics and the music, and the arrangement was already done by the system. What he needed now was for the company to provide a channel to participate in the Newcomer Season and a singer—

A singing tool to share the profits.